It's incredibly important to future owners to know the status of the seats.

There have been several complaints on-line about the quality of the leater seats... that they bunch up and wrinkle after your butt has been in it for a while... and it stays that way.

So, some questions:

1. Of the people who have had this problem, is it a real problem?
2. Of the people who have had this problem, has the dealer resolved the problem for you?
3. Are there people who do NOT have this problem? If so, please speak up!

Thanks,
Jon

 

After sitting in the drivers seat there is "butt print" in the leather, but it fades after a few hours. If I'd not read about the issue, I probably would not have thought there was anything unusual. The leather is very supple, which is why we are seeing this.

The attached image was taken after the car had been parked about seven hours.

-r

 

I have the ebony interior...I have no problems yet with wrinkling. Then again, I've only had the TL for 5 days.

 

The problem I posted was not related to the cushion but the side bolsters top and bottom. The one I saw at the dealer was VERY wrinkled from a few people siting on the edge of the seat. After side to side movement or geting in and out this leather will look like hell! If you have a TL (most noticable in ebony) grab the bolster and it will wrinkle and come back. After several monthes of use these wrinkles will remain. If this surfaces on my car I will return it for sure. The leather almost seems as though it has a soft "treatment on the surface rather than full thickness soft leather. Like I mentioned before- decebt leather should not do this and if the dealer say it's beciuse it is soft or premium it's a bunch of bull. Look at any car with good leather soft or otherwise and you will not see this problem. Look at a car with leather similar and of lesser grade than the TL and you will see the problem as well. I think it's a cheap way to make the leather feel soft. I have to say it's very disappointing. It's like using silver coated plastic in the G35 instead of real metal. Money is saved at the cost of interior appearance.

 

I did a comparison with the TL's leather. If you squeeze the leather between your finger tips, you'll note that it's very thin. I checked the leather in my 1992 Integra, Legend, and a G35 coupe. Those leathers are much thicker. I believe that the TL leather is very prone to wrinkles on the side bolsters and dimpling on the seats. Does anyone know what the warranty on the leather is? I still will end up buying one anyway.

 

I think people should note this issue to their dealer so if it becomes a problem they won't just make excuses.

 

I own an '03 Pilot with leather seats. If you check the Pilot web site you will find several posts on the wrinkles caused. The middle area is stretchy and the butt dimples are not unusual. its an unfortunate characteristic of the perforated pleather seats.

 

Compare the leather in the TL to an RL, the RL puts it to shame.

 

Went to the dealer last night. Saw two more TL's with this problem! Sales manager said he would mention to rep.

 

Neversat, after 13 days, 450 miles, I am begining to see the wrinkles on the left side of the bottom cushion, previously I said it was ok, vin in high 1600's.

Will post photo later.

 

If anyone has this problem they should tell their dealer and make sure it is documented early on (to your vin) or when it gets bad they will call it normal wear or blame it on lack of care.

 

Leather is prone to wrinkles, regardless of thickness...... Leather need regular care.... The better the leather, the more care it needs..... Just keep leather surface clear of dust, and use cleaner/conditioner at least once a month.....

 

Neversat,

Here are the photos, with 488 miles on it. shows the bad and good sides. It is not terrible, just has lines. I will complain to dealer though.


For full sized images and more photos, see:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?i...51&mode=invite

Bad side :



Good side of same seat:

 

My Audi S4 did that as well. The problem is the leather is a soft leather and the bolsters are high. During ingress and egress you compress the bolster and bend the leather, the lines are the result. I can tell you that using lexol cleaner and conditioner on a fairly regular basis will reduce this to a large degree, but it is simply a function of using leather on the bolsters of seats.

 

Thanks, did not view it as a huge problem, and will Lexol them this weekend, however, the car is just 2 weeks old, so not sure if it will help.

 

The pictures above do not look anything kike that of the black seats at the dealer. Dealers seats were 20-30 times worse on the ouside seat bolster.

 

Here's the seats in my 12 year-old 400SE....





Wrinkles are NORMAL...... All leather seats get wrinkles over the time.... As long as they don't flake and/or crack, it should be ok.... Also, try to avoid putting heavy objects on the seat..... Such as TV, tires, rims... what not..... Those would leave marks on the seat......

Leather is just like human skin, it tends to "dry up" over the time... Conditioner keeps it "lubed" or "moisturized", and minimize wrinkles.......

 

Great shots, I love your interior, you are right, looks brand new. I was not complaing about them, just simply showing what I thought people were talking about.

Posts are useless without pics!

 

If The NEW TL seat bolsters that I saw on more than one car looked as good as the worst part of your MB seats then I would have no problem. The New TL seats looks far far worse that those old MB seats. Time will tell. My 3 year old GSR leather NEVER winkled like the new TL seats. I just suggest that people have it documented so if it does begin to look real bad after a short period of time dealers won't make up excuses. The manager at my Acura dealer is even concerned.

 

Neversat - I have the car into the dealer today, the regional just happened to be there also, who told them the wrinkles are normal for this type of leather???

Well, it is documented, thanks and good luck to all.

 

If the leather is defective, we are covered...Besides, who's looking below our A*%es when we are driving our new love ships!!! These seats are sooooo much better than the old TL-S.

SSM / Q / Navi / 229 Miles

 

Exactly what I thought they would say!

 

Who cares about a few wrinkles in the leather? Looks fine to me.

 

With 17K on the car my driver's seat (ebony) is not looking too great. I don't mind creases and such as that's normal in all leather. Gives the car a little character over time! My issue is with the "bunching up" of the seat panel under my butt. That should not be happening at such low mileage so I visited the dealer this past weekend and made a case for a warranty repair. They said no problem and ordered a new leather cover.They will also be checking the cushion after removal of the cover and will be replacing that too if required. Just for the hell of it I asked about seat replacement with the '05 three panel type but they quickly said NO! I've read some other mail on this site that some people have, in fact, had the entire seat replaced. I'm wondering if that's really true. Anyway, the repair will be done next week. And I'll keep doing this until the warranty runs out and then I'll probably sell the vehicle anyway.

 

I have an 05 TL with Ebony Leather with 2600 miles and have already noticed the leather starting to show signs of pre-cracking in the side bottom bolsters ( and this even though I have treated the leather 3 times since I got the car ( 12/31/04)
Plus - on the 05 seats unless you are a size 32 waist or less you will get pinched in the thigh by the side bolsters - anyone else notice this - I have not heard anyone else mention this.

 

Everytime i open the door and look at my seats in the bright sunny day it looks so SHINNY and so wrinkle and a major butt print that make me wanna throw up. The wrinkle are everywhere. Not just the side bolster but the perf. section as well. I am scare to sit or put any pressure on the side bolster but it seems like that didnt help much because it is actually pulling the side bolster from the bottom piece and cause cease. I condition my leather regularly and it helps. We should write to car magazine and complain because i think their voice are more powerful than the consumer. I am only 160 lbs.Imagine someone a little heavier. Leather on the TL is just too sensitive. Everytime i take someone in my car. I notice new wrinkle after they get off so make me not want to give anyone a ride in my car. Even the slightest pressure on this leather will cause them to streetch. Try to put a small bag of grogercy on the back seats for 5-10 mins and you will know waht i am talking about...Yeah ebony seems to be the worse. My friends got the tan leather and the wrinkle less appearance..